After the closure of restaurants in Mallorca, German Minister of Foreign Affairs Heiko Maas (SPD) has dampened his hopes of a fast lifting of travel warnings and bans. According to the Minister, “holidaymakers have behaved recklessly.”
Maas has threatened new restrictions if holidaymakers keep behaving irresponsibly, as recently happened in Mallorca. “We have just reopened the European borders. Now we must not jeopardize our safety with foolish behaviors; otherwise, new restrictions will be inevitable.”
The German Minister has criticized the parties in Mallorca by asserting that “such behavior is dangerous and inconsiderate towards anyone willing to spend a safe vacation.” He added that many holiday destinations had worked hard for months to offer a safe environment to their visitors. The restrictions served to protect everyone.
At the same time, Maas dampened his expectations of a rapid lifting of further travel restrictions. “A second wave of COVID-19 is just starting in many countries; thus, we cannot weaken travel warnings,” he said. The most important factor is the safety of travelers. Due to the illegal parties, Mallorca authorities have decided to close all pubs, shops, and bars in Punta Ballena in Magalluf and the famous “Ham and Beer Street”, which are very popular among German tourists. The area will remain closed for two months to prevent irresponsible tourists’ behaviors, but there is a possibility that the restrictions may be modified depending on the degree of compliance.
These new restrictions were announced last Wednesday by Lago Negueruela, Balearic Tourism Minister, to deal with the excesses of tourism during the pandemic. The Balearic authorities decided to ban the use of long straws because they are used to share drinks. High tables and stools are prohibited as well in the affected areas, to prevent people from socializing and ensure everyone respects the social distancing rules.
The Balearic Tourism Minister declared that Tour Operators have also been warned about the new restrictions. “We do not want this kind of tourists to come to our Islands,” he said. Negueruela also added that if tourists behave indecently in other areas of the Islands, he will not hesitate to plan further closures to keep the destination as safe as possible.
According to the Balearic Tourism Minister, the epidemiological situation in the Islands is very good and they are now taking all possible measures to guarantee that the number of infections does not rise again. Indeed, “the most important thing is health and without health there is no economy,” he asserted.
